Voice control device and voice control method

Abstract

A voice control device includes a hearing estimate section configured to estimate hearing of a user based on a sending/received sound ratio representing a ratio of the volume of a sending sound to the volume of a received sound; a compensation-quantity calculating section configured to calculate a compensation quantity for a received signal of the received sound responsive to the estimated hearing; and a compensation section configured to compensate the received signal based on the calculated compensation quantity.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A voice control device comprising:
 a hearing estimate section configured to estimate hearing of a user based on a sending/received sound ratio representing a ratio of the volume of sending sound to the volume of received sound, the sending sound being sent by the user in a form of a sending signal, and the received sound being received by the user in a form of a received signal; 
 a compensation-quantity calculating section configured to calculate a compensation quantity for the received signal of the received sound responsive to the estimated hearing; and 
 a compensation section configured to compensate the received signal based on the calculated compensation quantity. 
 
     
     
       2. The voice control device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hearing estimate section estimates an age of a user from the sending/received sound ratio for estimating a minimum audible range based on the estimated age,
 wherein the compensation-quantity calculating section obtains the compensation quantity for the received signal so that the received signal is compensated to be greater than the estimated minimum audible range. 
 
     
     
       3. The voice control device as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a noise estimate section configured to estimate a noise quantity from the sending sound; and 
 a hearing compensation section configured to compensate the minimum audible range based on the estimated noise quantity, 
 wherein the compensation-quantity calculating section obtains the compensation quantity for the received signal so that the received signal is compensated to be greater than the estimated minimum audible range. 
 
     
     
       4. The voice control device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hearing estimate section determines whether the received sound and the sending sound include sound, then obtains the sending/received sound ratio for the received sound and the sending sound if the received sound and the sending sound include the sound. 
     
     
       5. The voice control device as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the noise estimate section determines whether the received sound includes no sound, then updates the noise quantity if the received sound includes no sound. 
     
     
       6. A method for controlling voice in a voice control device, comprising:
 estimating hearing of a user based on a sending/received sound ratio representing a ratio of the volume of sending sound to the volume of received sound, the sending sound being sent by the user in a form of a sending signal, and the received sound being received by the user in a form of a received signal; 
 calculating a compensation quantity for the received signal of the received sound responsive to the estimated hearing; and 
 compensating the received signal based on the calculated compensation quantity. 
 
     
     
       7. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program stored therein for causing a computer to execute a method for controlling voice, the method comprising:
 estimating hearing of a user based on a sending/received sound ratio representing a ratio of the volume of sending sound to the volume of received sound, the sending sound being sent by the user in a form of a sending signal, and the received sound being received by the user in a form of a received signal; 
 calculating a compensation quantity for the received signal of the received sound responsive to the estimated hearing; and 
 compensating the received signal based on the calculated compensation quantity.